Tag: Stats

Has Alvin Kamara regressed? Sean Payton doesn’t think so

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton contextualized the struggles running back Alvin Kamara has faced and gave his star a vote of confidence

It’s been a frustrating season for New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, despite his team’s success. On top of a handful of knee and ankle injuries that sidelined him midway through, he’s struggled to get into the end zone, scoring just two touchdowns all year (both in Week 3’s huge game with the Seattle Seahawks). Considering Kamara scored 14 touchdowns in 2017 and 18 touchdowns in 2018, that’s a huge drop-off.

But it doesn’t tell the whole story. While he hasn’t gotten many opportunities inside the red zone (meaning the opponent’s 20-yard line, which is prime scoring position), logging 29 touches in 11 games this year (2.63 combined runs and targets per game) after getting 110 looks in his previous 31 regular season games (3.55 per game). In addition to that context, Kamara’s efficiency stats are lining up well against what he accomplished just last season. He’s only averaged three rushing yards and five receiving yards less per game:

  • 2018: 58.9 rushing yards per game, 47.3 receiving yards per game
  • 2019: 55.6 rushing yards per game, 42.0 receiving yards per game

However, that’s not going to be very compelling to many fans after Kamara gained a combined 43 yards from scrimmage in the biggest game of the year last week, against the San Francisco 49ers. 17 of those yards came on one carry; without it, Kamara averaged an outlandish 0.61 yards per rushing attempt, including several negative runs.

Maybe Kamara’s lacking his signature lower-body explosive ability due to those injuries, and isn’t breaking tackles as often because of it — after shedding 27 tacklers in the first five weeks, he’s only broken 7 tackles since, per Sports Radar. Something is clearly not right with him. While still a fine asset, he’s not been playing like the cornerstone on offense fans have gotten used to.

However, Saints coach Sean Payton gave Kamara a strong vote of confidence, stressing the need for patience and reminding fans of the adversity Kamara’s dealt with this season in his weekly media availability:

“This is always one of those topics where he will have those games where he jumps out and we’ll call it a breakout game. Part of it is the way the games have unfolded,” Payton said. “There have been good opponents, he was injured for a few weeks there, there was some time when Drew (Brees) missed and Latavius has jumped in. Each week, there’s a different way that it unfolds.”

Still, at the end of the day Payton expects Kamara to reassert himself as a premier talent in the NFL, adding: “He’s too talented a player. I’m seeing everything in practice, the way he prepares. His best football this season’s ahead of him.”

So maybe Kamara is still knocking off some rust from his early-season injuries. Payton isn’t going to stop giving him opportunities to go be great any time soon, even if Kamara turns in a bad performance or two. Fans just has to hope he gets his mojo back before the playoffs start in a few weeks.

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VFL stats: Week 14

VFL stats: Week 14

KNOXVILLE — Week 14 of the National Football League season is in the books.

Below are the stats for former Vols that saw action in Week 14.

Former Vols’ Stats: National Football League Week 14

Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints) 13 carries, 25 yards, 4 receptions, 18 yards.

Shy Tuttle (New Orleans Saints) 2 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection.

Alexander Johnson (Denver Broncos) 5 tackles, 1 forced fumble.

Cordarrelle Patterson (Chicago Bears) 2 kickoff returns, 44 yards, 1 reception, 33 yards, 1 rush, minus-5 yards.

Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) 5 receptions, 37 yards.

Britton Colquitt (Minnesota Vikings) 6 punts, 222 yards.

Michael Palardy (Carolina Panthers) 4 punts, 185 yards.

Dustin Colquitt (Kansas City Chiefs) 3 punts, 131 yards.

Emmanuel Moseley (San Francisco 49ers) 7 tackles.

Kyle Phillips (New York Jets) 1 tackle.

Justin Coleman (Detroit Lions) 2 tackles.

Jaylen Reeves-Maybin (Detroit Lions) 2 tackles.

Cameron Sutton (Pittsburgh Steelers) 1 tackle.

NFL power rankings, Week 15: Saints stay pat after impressive, frustrating performance

The New Orleans Saints have room to improve after getting overrun by the San Francisco 49ers, but their spot in NFL power rankings is secure

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What more is there to take away from the New Orleans Saints’ dramatic loss to the San Francisco 49ers? Drew Brees clearly still has the ability to drop 40-plus points on an opponent at any given time, which is reassuring after the Saints struggled to do that for much of the 2019 season. The performance he put on last Sunday was vintage, recalling the kind of tape he put up often earlier in his Saints career.

Distressingly, the Saints defense regressed hard, and they too chose to play like it was 2014 or 2015 again. They weren’t competitive when the 49ers called deep shots downfield and were too often fooled by misdirection before the snap, causing defenders to move too-late into their run fits. The only silver lining to that problem is it validates a statement many fans probably believed going into the game: that 49ers play-designer Kyle Shanahan is better at his job than Saints defensive shot-caller Dennis Allen. Some success is to be expected.

So observers around the league weren’t exactly shocked when the Saints defense got carved up and served on a silver platter. According to the latest NFL power rankings from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, the throws and execution Brees showed throughout the afternoon are worth more than the defense’s breakdowns, though obviously it’s something they must improve. Farrar hasn’t budged from his stance as calling the Saints one of the best teams in the NFL, ranked third behind the 49ers and Baltimore Ravens:

Sunday’s game between the 49ers and Saints marked just the third time since 1950 that both quarterbacks in a game had the same number of passing yards. It just so happened that Jimmy Garoppolo’s yardage on San Francisco’s final drive meant a bit more than Drew Brees’ did. With less than a minute left, Brees hit receiver Tre’Quan Smith on an 18-yard touchdown pass — his fifth touchdown pass of the game — and the Saints looked to have a 46-45 win, as long as New Orleans’ defense could hold Garoppolo to his own side of the field.

That didn’t happen, as Garoppolo hit tight end George Kittle on a 39-yard play on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 33-yard line. Add in safety Marcus Williams’ 15-yard facemask penalty, and that’s all it took to position Robbie Gould for the winning 30-yard field goal.

The Saints went from the first seed in the NFC to the third with the loss, and they have tough games against the Colts, Titans and Panthers to end the season. Job No. 1 for New Orleans’ coaching staff will be to tinker with a pass defense that fell apart multiple times in this game.

It’s tough to argue with that assessment. More than a few emotional Saints fans want players like Williams cut immediately, but that’s a ridiculous pipe dream. He’s the only player on New Orleans’ roster with multiple interceptions this year (he’s bagged four, and lost a few others to unrelated penalties) and is still coming into his own after celebrating his 23rd birthday in September. Williams’ trajectory as a pro is trending up despite ugly instances like his facemask penalty on Kittle (which likely prevented a touchdown) or his past mistakes as a rookie (which we don’t need to dwell on). Odds are a good that he’ll continue to improve with more NFL experience; now it’s up to fans to support him in the low moments just like they praise him in high times.

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How many last-minute losses is too many for Drew Brees to shoulder?

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has mastered the two-minute drill but it’s still not enough for his defense to close out a victory

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There’s a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the New Orleans Saints have held onto a timeout or two. The kickoff return unit has put the Saints offense in good — not great — starting field position. Drew Brees is under center, having rattled off the play call and waved his teammates into position. Down by a score, the Saints need him to make some last-minute magic to end the day with a win.

How many times has this story played out since Brees first came to town? More importantly, how many times has he came through with what should have been a game-winning drive, only for his defense to choke and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

The answer to that second question is 21. Brees has retaken the lead 21 times in his Saints career on a go-ahead scoring drive, only to watch helplessly from the sidelines as his defenses cave under pressure and allow their opponents to surge back with their own salvo. That number includes the playoffs, and ties the total set by three other quarterbacks put with (or mistakenly above) Brees in discussions concerning “the greatest of all time.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had to put up with this unique incompetence only four times in the 322 games he’s played in the NFL. Retired great Peyton Manning dealt with just six such answering-score comebacks from teams he put on the ropes throughout his 266-game career. Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers has had it the worst of the non-Brees bunch, watching his defense fold against 11 last-second efforts (out of 195 career games).

Let’s reiterate that, to really drive the point home: Brady, Manning, and Rodgers have put their team ahead with a would-be game-winning drive only to lose anyway a combined 21 times in the 783 games they’ve played in the NFL, while Brees has found himself in the same situation 21 times in just 287 games. In other words, the combined defenses Brady, Manning, and Rodgers played with let them down in 2.7% of the games they’ve each played, while Brees has had to face his defense with a thousand-yard stare in 7.3% of their games together.

That’s almost too hard to believe. It speaks to the years of neglect and inadequacy the Saints have put out on defense, going back to the years when the likes of Gregg Williams, Steve Spagnuolo, and Rob Ryan were coaching the other side of the ball. Dennis Allen has done a better job than most during Brees’ tenure in New Orleans, but his flop on Sunday — in which he either chose or forgot to cover San Francisco’s best player, tight end George Kittle, on a last-second fourth-and-two that set up the game-winning field goal — is a painful reminder that Brees can do everything right and still lose the game, despite how talented and effective his defense has been in recent years.

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Deonte Harris got back up to speed quickly for Saints vs. 49ers

The New Orleans Saints needed rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris to make an impact against the San Francisco 49ers, and he impressed.

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The New Orleans Saints went into their game with the San Francisco 49ers with an aggressive mindset, and few players embodied that approach stronger than rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Harris returned quietly from a hamstring injury in the Saints’ Thanksgiving game against the Atlanta Falcons, picking up just 30 yards on two kick returns and a punt return, but his numbers versus the 49ers could not have been more different.

The rookie fielded five kickoffs to gain 155 yards, a season-high. He returned a pair of punts to pick up 37 yards, his third-best mark on the year so far and his highest since Week 7’s game with the Chicago Bears, in which he gained 46 punt return yards (and lost a 67-yard touchdown return to a phantom holding penalty). Combine all of his touches against San Francisco — including a 13-yard pickup on a screen pass and an 8-yard gain on an end-around handoff — and he gave the Saints 205 all-purpose yards on the day.

Saints coach Sean Payton credited Harris with his consistent production on kick returns, noting that the rookie was taking advantage of poor kicking by San Francisco rather than following a “green light” directive to try and make a play on every kickoffs, no matter the odds. It’s a sign of Harris’s intelligence that he saw an opportunity to help his team, and took it.

Where does this stand in recent Saints history? Harris has an argument to make as the best special teams returner in the Sean Payton era, because his 269 punt return yards this year trails just two other single-season performances going back to Payton’s hiring in 2006. Only Reggie Bush’s 2008 season (270 punt return yards) and Darren Sproles’ 2011 campaign (294) are above Harris’s output, and he still has three games to play. He needs 26 combined yards in those games to set the high-water mark for Payton’s tenure.

His next game comes on ‘Monday Night Football’ against the Indianapolis Colts, who will be without all-time great kicker Adam Vinatieri after his recent knee surgery. Vinatieri has not been handling kickoff duties for the Colts, with third-year punter Rigoberto Sanchez standing in. Harris will have opportunities to build on his impressive rookie season in front of a national audience.

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Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm suffers ankle injury in SEC title game

Three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

In the second quarter in today’s SEC Championship game, three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett has stepped in but Fromm’s injury appears to be minor and will not keep him out of the game.

Fromm since returned but looks rattled entering the second half.

Bad luck for the Dawgs: Joe Burrow passes to Joe Burrow

Following several dropped passes on offense, Georgia’s luck got worse.

Following several dropped passes on offense, Georgia’s luck got worse.

This prolonged a drive that ultimately led to a questionable catch ruled as a touchdown.

 

Georgia football alumni are hyped up for SEC Championship

Former Georgia lettermen take to social media to hype up the SEC Championship game.

Some of our favorite Dawgs have experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat against LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

Georgia and Louisiana State have met three times in competing for the conference title. The Tigers have bested the Bulldogs 2-1 in such scenarios, claiming the conference championship in 2003 and 2011. Georgia won the 2005 matchup behind D.J. Shockley’s electrifying performance.

Here’s what the lettermen had to say:

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ITS THAT TIME!! #GODAWGS #BEATLSU

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They seem confident that the Dawgs can even the series.

BIG 12 Championship Game: What it means for Georgia

What the Oklahoma vs Baylor BIG 12 Championship Game means to Georgia football ahead of its UGA vs LSU game.

Currently, Oklahoma and Baylor are in a fight for the BIG 12 championship.

The Sooners and Bears, No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, are both playing for a shot at making the College Football Playoff.

In order for either of them to get in, they’ll need Georgia to lose to LSU today.

But if Baylor wins, the Bears may need more than just a Georgia loss. They may need Georgia to lose by at least one touchdown.

If Georgia loses to LSU today by, let’s say three points, then the Dawgs could have a very real argument for remaining at the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings and sneaking in.

Now if Oklahoma wins today, Georgia needs to flat-out win. A close loss would not cut it.

However, it’s a different story when it comes to Baylor.

It’s unlikely, but does the committee want Baylor in? I personally don’t think they do.

Georgia has three top-15 wins to date, and if Baylor wins today it’ll have one top-25 win.

I don’t think anybody truly believe Baylor could hang with LSU, Clemson or Ohio State. And if Georgia manages to lose to LSU in a fight to the finish, there would be no doubt that Georgia would be the better option for the playoff.

But maybe I’m a little biased.

Score, stat predictions for Georgia vs LSU SEC Championship Game

Here are some score and stat predictions for Georgia football’s LSU vs UGA SEC Championship Game.

Here are some predictions for the Georgia vs LSU SEC Championship Game. 

Score:

What my head is telling me: LSU 27, Georgia 20

What my heart is telling me: Georgia 30, LSU 28

Stats predictions:

LSU players:

QB Joe Burrow: 25/37, 321 yards, four touchdowns, 1 interception

RB Clyde Edwards-Hellaire: 17 carries, 31 yards

WR Ja’Marr Chase: 7 catches, 81 yards, 1 TD

WR Justin Jefferson: 9 catches, 75 yards, 1 TD

Georgia players:

QB Jake Fromm: 16/29, 210 yards, 1 TD

RB D’Andre Swift: 22 carries, 158 yards, 1 TD

WR Dominick Blaylock: 4 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD

LB Monty Rice: 11 tackles

LB Azeez Ojulari: 1.5 sacks

K Rodrigo Blankenship: 2/2 FGs, 2/2 PATs